Youth Inclusion Key To Tackling Security Challenges

The executive director of Building Blocks for Peace Foundation, Mr Rafiu Adeniran Lawal, said effective implementation of the National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security would address Nigeria’s growing peace and security challenges.

Lawal stated this at the National Conference on Youth, Peace and Security in Nigeria held in Abuja.

The conference had the theme, “Bridging Policy and Practice: Multi-stakeholder Engagement in Youth and Security Frameworks Implementation.”

He described the action plan as a critical national roadmap capable of driving sustainable peace through active youth participation.

Lawal said the country could no longer ignore the role of young people in promoting peace, stability and social cohesion.

According to him, the ongoing process to develop the second National Action Plan became necessary as the first plan would expire in 2024.

He said the conference was convened not only to create awareness but also to identify practical roles for stakeholders in implementing the framework.

“The National Action Plan on Youth, Peace and Security, if effectively implemented, represents a game changer in our quest to find lasting solutions to the peace and security challenges confronting us as a nation,” he said.

Lawal lamented the worsening socio-economic and socio-political realities in the country, saying many Nigerians no longer feel secure or included.

He identified unemployment, shrinking civic spaces, misinformation and social fragmentation as major threats to national peace and cohesion.

Despite the challenges, he noted that millions of young Nigerians remained committed to contributing positively to national development and peacebuilding.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr Joseph Peter Ochogwu, stressed the need to place youths at the centre of governance and security discussions.

Ochogwu, represented by the Deputy Director and Chief Research Fellow at the institute, Chukwuemeka Mbah, said young people should not be seen merely as beneficiaries of peace initiatives.

He described them as active architects of peace, innovation and national development.

He warned that policies and frameworks would achieve little impact if they remained mere documents without practical implementation.

“Sustainable peace cannot be achieved without placing youth at the centre of governance, security discussions, and development programmes across the country,” he said.

Ochogwu added that peace involved more than the absence of conflict, noting that justice, opportunity, dignity and inclusion were equally important.

In her remarks, the permanent secretary, Federal Ministry of Youth Development, Dr Maryam Ismaila Keshinro, said the government recognised youths as critical partners in strengthening national resilience.

Keshinro, represented by Chief Youth Development Officer, Iorzua Vivian, said stronger collaboration among government agencies, civil society organisations, development partners and youth groups remained essential for meaningful progress.

She urged stakeholders to focus on practical solutions, inclusive dialogue and sustained commitment towards advancing the youth, peace and security agenda in Nigeria.